re-posted from istanbul.indymedia.
Full story and images at
 http://istanbul.indymedia.org/news/2003/03/541.php

U.S. didn't care to wait for the debated measure to pass in the Turkish parliament
by bbm • Friday March 07, 2003 at 03:36 AM


Many U.S. military vehicles, which are claimed to be used for the modernization of the military bases, have begun to be deployed in parties towards the zones that are close to the Iraqi border.

6 March: As the resubmittance of a second measure giving permission to U.S. soldiers in Turkey for an attack on Iraq to the parliament is being debated, the Turkish Armed Forces announced that they approved the measure and the U.S. army didn't even care to wait for measure to pass in the Turkish parliament.

Many U.S. military vehicles, which are claimed to be used for the modernization of the military bases, have begun to be deployed in parties towards the zones that are close to the Iraqi border. Transport of these vehicles weren't given permission from the Iskenderun port prior to the denial of the measure in the Turkish Parliament last Sunday. There is no change in the measure situation since that time, even though the Turkish army has announced it supports the measure and a second measure is vote is being mentioned. Amongst the U.S. vehicles deployed there are the famous powerful jeep Hummers which were used during the 1991 Gulf war, and which can carry rocket ramps, and are very durable in tough road conditions and very difficult to be tilted. U.S. military vehicles which were stocked into trailers formed a big convoy. Consisting of 29 TIR's, 1 truck and a bus carrying 25 American soldiers, the convoy caused a traffic jam at the tollpay stations on the Iskenderun-Adana highway. After staying in Sanlýurfa for one night, the convoy will go to Mardin and Silopi. It has been observed that about 1.500 U.S. soldiers with war equipment and gas masks has come to the Iskenderun port.

The Turkish Army defended the deployments, announcing that the U.S. is continuing to refurbish its bases under the previous limited agreement that the Parliament approved in February, altough there is no base at all in Mardin-Kiziltepe where the U.S. troops are concentrating. In fact the U.S. army has 'rented' 9 silos in Mardin, a flour factory amongst them, and other public areas in Adana, Diyarbakir and Iskenderun, all locations without any official U.S. bases.

For photos of U.S. troop movements in Turkey:
 http://istanbul.indymedia.org/news/2003/03/536.php

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